Charlie Crist declares he's 'on the battlefield of love,' while DeSantis 'is on the battlefield of hate'
Former Republican Crist claims he’s ‘running on love' in Florida governor's race
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Democratic Rep. Charlie Crist, Fla., declared he’s "on the battlefield of love" Wednesday after he clinched the Democratic Party's nomination in Florida's gubernatorial election.
Crist was not misquoting Pat Benatar’s 1983 hit "Love Is a Battlefield," but rather taking a shot at incumbent Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, R., who he will face in the general election for governor of the Sunshine State later this year. During an appearance on MSNBC’s "Morning Joe," Crist was asked how he plans to "fight" the popular Republican on cultural issues such as critical race theory and the Parental Rights in Education bill.
"He is on the battlefield of hate, I am on the battlefield of love," Crist said. "There is faith, hope and love and the greatest of these is love. It’s in Corinthians, in the Bible, I’m going to beat him because I’m running on love and love always wins."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CHARLIE CRIST WINS DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION FOR GOVERNOR OF FLORIDA, WILL TAKE ON DESANTIS IN NOVEMBER
Rep. Charlie Crist, D-Fla., declared he’s "on the battlefield of love" during an MSNBC appearance. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Crist, a former Republican who became an independent and later a Democrat in 2012, once served as Florida's governor while still a member of the GOP. He is known for his massive flip-flops on a host of issues throughout his lengthy political career. A former social conservative who fiercely opposed Barack Obama, he became one of his strongest advocates, and Crist fawned over President Biden on Wednesday as "the best I've ever met."
He said Wednesday on MSNBC if DeSantis "wants to run on hate, and culture wars, and dividing people and making people hate each other, that’s his turf."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"That’s what this campaign is about, hate versus love. His hate versus our love, God’s love," Crist said.
MSNBC host Willie Geist repeated Crist’s newfound catchphrase as the interview wrapped.
"The Democratic nominee now for governor of Florida fighting on the battlefield of love," Geist said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will face Rep. Charlie Crist, D-Fla., in his re-election bid. Crist is a former Republican who switched parties a decade ago. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Earlier this month, Crist claimed DeSantis is the "most arrogant" governor he had ever seen and called him a "wannabe dictator."
"He’s the most arrogant governor I’ve ever seen in my life. It is shocking, it really is. Enough is enough," Crist said, according to The Guardian. "He’s a barbaric, wannabe dictator."
No Democrat has won a governor's election in Florida since 1994. Florida, long a critical swing state, has shifted to the right in recent elections, with Donald Trump carrying the state in 2016 and 2020, and the state sporting two Republican U.S. Senators.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Pat Benatar’s 1983 hit "Love Is a Battlefield" may have inspired Rep. Charlie Crist, D-Fla., as he gears up to face incumbent GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis. (Photo by Kevin Mazur)
On Wednesday, Crist told reporters he's not interested in reaching out to DeSantis supporters in the general election, saying they had "hate" in their hearts.
"If you support the governor, keep supporting him. I don't want your vote. If you have that hate in your heart, keep it there," he said.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News’ Kyle Morris contributed to this report.